1902. Stewart. — The Father of Irish Field Clubs. 37 



The subjects taught by him were geology, mineralogy, 

 systematic botany, vegetable ph3^siology, zoology, animal 

 physiology, and physical geograph}^ and the success attending 

 the teaching was most marked. At that time the Department 

 had classes in only eleven localities, but of the thirteen first 

 class prizes awarded in geology, eleven went to Mr. Tate's 

 pupils. Eight medals were given at these examinations, six 

 of which came to Belfast. Some of those successful students 

 are still with us. The foregoing may appear to some un- 

 necessarily lengthy, but it leads up to Mr. Tate's influence on 

 the birth of the Club. These classes in the Museum continued 

 until the spring of 1864, and early in 1863 Mr. W. T. Chew, who 

 has long since left Belfast, and whose subsequent history I am 

 unable to trace, wrote in the Northern Whig explaining the 

 working of Naturalists' Field Clubs, and urging the formation 

 of one in this town. This was taken up at once by some of 

 the pupils of the geological class, who met Mr. Chew, and 

 arranged for him a meeting with their teacher. Mr. Tate 

 drew up an outline of the organization of the Club, a meeting 

 was summoned, many names were secured as a start, and then 

 an inaugural meeting was held, a code of rules adopted, and 

 officers appointed ; and thus was launched the organization 

 which has called us here to-night after a most successful 

 career of almost thirty-eight years. 



Ralph Tate was a native of Alnwick, and was descended 

 from an old Northumbrian family, several of whose members 

 have been distinguished for their love of natural science. 

 His father was Thomas Tate, the author of a number of 

 educational works, and his uncle, George Tate, F.G.S., was a 

 prominent north country geologist, whose influence first 

 incited his nephew to scientific studies; the latter began 

 his geological work when only twelve years old. At seven- 

 teen he won a free exhibition at the I^ondon School of Mines. 

 Soon after he was at the head of a geological class at the 

 Polytechnic Institution, and subsequently senior master 

 of the Bristol Trade and Mining School, and curator 

 to the Geological Society. Having received his scientific 

 training at the School of Mines, and his capability of im- 

 parting instruction being proved, he was sent out to several 

 localities as a science teacher under the Department of 



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